I am not really qualified to comment on the semantic nuances because I am not really sure! I do know that 'bêtise' is used in certain region French to signify a type of sweet or candy. J'adore les bêtises de Cambrai is an example of this.
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Patrick SebastienJul 14 '13 at 13:49

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For cohesion, please have question titles and bodies in the same language. I think people usually understand answers should be in the same language as the question, but if they don't, don't be afraid to ask them to switch language. We're here to help you, not hinder your learning process.
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KareenJul 14 '13 at 14:06

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They are not always interchangeable, but the nuance is subtle.
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Gilles♦Jul 14 '13 at 14:11

Thank you for your help. I'll use just one language in the future. Hopefully, only French when I feel more confident in my abilities to speak it.
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indoxicaJul 14 '13 at 14:12

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@indoxica When you feel comfortable asking questions in French, certainly give it a go! This is part of the learning process, and as the help page for asking on-topic questions suggests: "If you are learning French, we suggest that you learn by doing and ask in French..". I ask questions in French and I know that I make certain errors, but a moderator always comes by sooner or later and edits my post for grammar, spelling, and clarity - and this is great! Not only does this make it easier for the question to be answered, you also can see the edit and improve your writing skills!
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Patrick SebastienJul 14 '13 at 15:20

So remains the difficult task of finding a way to explain the difference between sot and bête :-)
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Stéphane Gimenez♦Jul 14 '13 at 15:57

To add more information, sottiste comes from the noun "sot" wich comes from soptus in latin which means endormi (assleep). Bêtise comes from the latin word bestia which means bête in French (beast in English).
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Swiss12000Jul 15 '13 at 11:51